Key Skills for Every Premed

As a premedical student, you have a lot on your plate. Between difficult classes, never ending tests, pressures to maintain great extracurriculars and do well on standardized tests, it can be overwhelming. But there are a few key skills that every premedical student should have which will help you get through these years with ease:

Adaptability and Social Skills You will be working with many different types of people in medical school, in your residency, and in your career. It is very important to be able to adapt to changes, as different people will have different clinical styles that may or may not agree with your style. Especially in medical school, you need to be able to adapt to these different situations. You need to be able to take constructive criticism as a medical student, but it is also helpful to be able to interact with the people around you.

Time Management Skills and Efficiency Because medical school and residency are a lot of work, develop the skill to prioritize the things that are important and those that can wait until later. In your study strategy, prioritize the things that are most important and the things that are most difficult for you. As a Resident, efficiency is very important because you need to be able to list out and complete all your tasks, and find a way to utilize the resources around you, including delegating tasks to others, to be done on time.

Your Personal Study Strategy The last thing that I think is important to develop while you’re a premed is a study strategy that works well for you as a student. The same study strategy you used previously won’t work when you are presented with such a vast amount of information in medical school. But I think if you figure out what kind of learner you are, whether you are a visual, audio learner or you learn by doing or reading, and if you are the type of person who needs to know the details, this will guide the way you study, because there is a large volume of material to learn in medical school.